Armageddon
by Philip Tanaka
Summary: A Evangelion fic with loads of Metal gear referrences strewn throughout. As the JSSDF invade NERV, one man fights to protect the one who will bring about the world's destruction.


Copyright 1996-2001 Gainex Studios. Evangelion is created by Hideaki Anno and cannot be reproduced for profit without his express consent. This is a piece of fanfiction I have written because I love Evangelion and it's characters.  
  
This fic contains some mild language and violence. Parents Guidence is recommended. It also has spoilers for the End of Evangelion movie.  
  
Alarms sounded around the Secret Service Headquarters of NERV; the special task force created to fight the invading alien creatures known as the Shito. The man leaning across the desk preferred to call them by their Japanese name, as opposed to what the people from his homeland called them.  
  
"Shito. No, it's not possible." Hitting the computer screen, the man cursed. "C'mon, answer." The screen flickered to life, revealing a brown haired technician.  
  
"Aya? Aya, do you hear me?"  
  
"I'm here, Kym," Aya replied. "What's going on?"  
  
"An A-801 has been called. NERV is to surrender immediately to the JSSDF."  
  
"Under whose orders?" Kym was quiet for a moment. "Kym," Aya growled, "answer."  
  
"Lorenz Keel of SEELE has ordered the A-801. He intends to cover up all evidence of what has happened here."  
  
"They're going to kill everybody here just so that no one knows the truth of what's happened here? Tell SEELE that all the Shito have been destroyed."  
  
"We can't. I'm not sure what SEELE's motives are, maybe they're afraid that we'll use the two remaining Evangelions to start a revolt, but they've sent the JSSDF and Eva units of their own to destroy NERV and everyone else."  
  
"I've heard of them. These MP's were designed to fight them." Picking up a Heckler and Koch 45. Automatic, Aya muttered to himself. "I should have felt doubtful in the first place."  
  
Armageddon  
  
Written by Philip Tanaka  
  
Heavy bomber fighters swoop low overhead as the radar towers that provided warning against an attack from the Shito were destroyed. Among the chaos a sleek, large helicopter hovers low overhead. Joining them on the ground are numerous armoured personnel carriers and tank transports. Soldiers jump from the helicopter, lowering themselves down on ropes as Hip, Black Hawke and Huey helicopters release troops among the infantry and armour that had already gathered.  
  
"We're going in now," screams one of the soldiers. "How are you doing?"  
  
"We'll take over all the upper compartments." the infantryman was cut off by a group of men who appeared to be the security force of NERV. Men in black suits pointed automatic rifles at the arriving soldiers, knowing that they were outnumbered. A Huey flying overhead turned to hover over them. NERV's security force pointed at the chopper; if they could kill the pilot and destroy the chopper, they'd have a chance. At the very least, it would cause confusion and buy them some time.  
  
"Fire!" one of the men yelled. As the secret service started to shoot the Huey, grenades flew out from the chopper, exploding in the group of men who had threatened to attack. Body parts were strewn about for meters, the only thing left of the group of men that hadn't moved was a pair of shoes with two stumps that used to be legs.  
  
"We're taking over," screamed another one of the soldiers. "SEELE's after the Magi."  
  
"Once we kill everyone, we're to blow up NERV," another man yelled out. A thin, wiry man walked forward, a clearly visible insignia showed that he was a general.  
  
"What about the Evas?" one of the soldiers asked.  
  
"Only he is able to pilot the Evas now, it has to be him."  
  
"What are they planning to do? We're screwed if they activate the Evas."  
  
Soldiers rushed about NERV as everyone prepared for the JSSDF assault. Men with Uzi machine guns ran to where they thought the JSSDF would infiltrate NERV and technicians armed themselves with pistols and whatever else they could find to defend themselves. Aya ignored all this as he ran, searching each room he came across. His objective was clear: find the first child like Gendou would want. Acting on instinct, he looked around knowing that the Commander would want Rei safe, if nothing else. Aya had asked himself why Gendou was so committed to her well-being. He didn't have time to worry about that at the moment though.  
  
"Aya," one of the soldiers barked, "get back here."  
  
Fool, Aya thought. What can we do, they have Evas.  
  
"I'm going to set up an ambush up ahead."  
  
At least that's partly true. I'll help my fellow soldiers once I find Rei. Turning a corner, Aya sees Gendou, who was waving a gun in what seemed like blind panic as he held a girl by the arm.  
  
"Speak of the Devil," Aya said. Gendou looked at him.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" Gendou barked.  
  
"I was looking for Rei for you. Sir" Aya added as an afterthought.  
  
"Get back with the rest of the squad," Gendou ordered, pointing the gun at him as he backed away.  
  
"You promised to quit after this was over."  
  
"It's not over yet. Now move." Aya thought that Gendou would shoot him.  
  
I wasn't even talking to you, Aya thought as he snuck into a room. Rei wouldn't quit. She may follow orders, but she's stubborn. Anyone who has survived what she's been through has to be. Aya couldn't blame her though. She has nowhere else to go. Chewing his lip, Aya watched as soldiers passed where he hid.  
  
"This is a country of liberty." Maybe not with all the soldiers running about, but Aya had his mind set on going with Gendou to protect Rei. He was just about to when he heard several loud explosions followed by gunfire.  
  
"C'mon," Aya muttered, "I'm waiting." Hiding in the corridor, Aya hoped to pick off the JSSDF troops as they came around the corner. Gunfire sounded as screams of pain filled Aya's ears. Lying in front of a box, Aya trued to resist the temptation to go and help his comrades, who were obviously being slaughtered.  
  
Just a quick look. Getting to his feet, Aya snuck along the corridor wall, eager not to alert the JSSDF. If he could just sneak a quick look down the adjacent hallway, if he could just slice the pie without anyone noticing, then he could see what he was up against.  
  
"If only I had a mirror or something." At that moment, Aya heard a roar, followed by the sound of rushing air. A jet of flame shot out, drowning out the screams of NERV's soldiers. Aya pressed back against the wall, his jaw slowly dropping open. Aya could hear voices.  
  
"Move, this way."  
  
"Jesus." Hitting the ground, Aya crawled, looking for some sort of cover. The only hiding place he could get to in time was a large, overturned wooden box. Aya crawled towards it, desperate not to make any noise. If he could hide in the box until the soldiers went past.Aya pulled the box towards him, bringing it upright as soldiers rushed down the hall. The box had to be ten feet high.  
  
Maybe if I jump up and grab through the planks of wood.It was a long shot, but if the JSSDF couldn't tip the box over easily, they'd most likely pass on him. Jumping up, Aya grabbed through the top of the box, praying that it would hold. Aya could hear footsteps outside, followed by voices.  
  
"Just a box." More footsteps could be heard as troops surrounded the box.  
  
"Can't see anything inside." There was a push as someone kicked the box.  
  
"There's something inside."  
  
"Any idea what it is?" Aya heard a gun click.  
  
Shit! Aya jumped down from where he hung and crouched down in the box as the box was shot.  
  
"Hold it! It could be explosives." More footsteps could be heard as one of the soldiers took a close look at the box.  
  
"I can't see through, it hasn't penetrated all the way through."  
  
"We'll leave a guard here. The rest of us will move out." Aya heard footsteps move past, as he sighed with relief.  
  
"Huh?" The guard took a careful look around the box, noticing a small hole that one could peak through. Aya could hear the guard shuffling close to the box, looking through the hole. Aya put both of his feet on the inner board at the bottom of the box. The guard proceeded to give the box a good, hard kick. Aya grinned at the yelp of pain the guard emitted, stumbling about with a bad foot. Now Aya got up and looked through the hole. Just the one guard. If I can take him out.Aya slowly moved his hand to his 45., raising the gun to aim next to the hole. The guard walked up to where the hall went off to another corridor, looking about. It's now or never. Aya tightened his finger on the trigger, closed his eyes and prayed. The gun going off, shaking violently in his hands snapped him back to reality. Aya's ears rang as the weight of the noise was confined to the wooden crate, but he kept on firing. He heard a muffled curse as the guard slumped to the ground. Aya slumped back down, hiding in the box.  
  
Ikari Gendou felt like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. If Lorenz were to have his way, he would enslave the human race, he was sure of it.  
  
"Have to get to Terminal Dogma, get to Adam." Bullets buzzed past him as JSSDF troops hunted after him.  
  
Hang on, Yui. Gendou had a tight hand on Rei's wrist, half dragging her as he fought off soldiers as best he could.  
  
"Come on, Rei." Gendou started to run as the JSSDF regrouped and came after him in numbers, Rei trying to keep up with the Commander. Gendou turned and dove into a hallway, literally trowing Rei down it with one hand. Rei lay slumped next to a door.  
  
"Bastards will be here any second. Rei, in the door, now." Gendou raced for Rei, picking her up and shoving her through the door. Inside, Rei looked around. Lockers, tables, and what looked like a bunk bed. If there was anyone in here, she didn't see him.or her.  
  
"Wh.who's that?" Rei looked up, seeing a man perched on what appeared to be a girder built into the wall. The man jumped up, grunting with pain as he grabbed a pipe hanging from the roof, lowering himself down. Rei heard gunshots outside as the man slumped to the floor, obviously in pain.  
  
"Who are you?" Rei asked, showing no emotion in her voice.  
  
"I'm.I'm not one of them. You're Rei, Ayanami Rei. Where's Gendou?"  
  
"Outside." A flash of realisation crossed the man's face.  
  
"Oh, I get it. You're trying to start the Human Instrumentality Project, aren't you?"  
  
"I don't know." The man motioned her to come closer.  
  
"Come here," he said. Rei stepped wearily forward. "They're not human, those Japanese so called Defence Force troops. I tell you, they loved every second of their slaughter. Use one of the Evas."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Fight.them off.aaagh." The man painfully tried to talk as red started to flow from his arm, beneath the shirt he wore. "Here, take this." The man reached for papers lying next to him and handed them to Rei.  
  
"What is it?" Rei asked.  
  
"This is all of SEELE's and NERV's dark little secrets. It's all here." The man gave Rei a disdainful look. "Don't play dumb. You must make sure that no one gets their hands on them." Rei recalled how other people; the two Commanders, Major Katsuragi, the man she was with and another woman were like this man.  
  
"Okay." The door opened behind them as Gendou stepped through. The man held his gun up at the Commander, and then just as quickly lowered it again.  
  
"Double crosser," the man muttered so that Rei heard but not Gendou. "I can't make a difference, not like this." He handed the gun to Rei butt first. "Rei, please, kill me."  
  
"Why?" Gendou stepped forward, pulling Rei back.  
  
"No," the man said as frantically as he could in his condition, "hold on just a minute." Gendou let his hand rest on Rei's shoulder.  
  
"He doesn't have much time left," Gendou said. "But we need to get to Adam, now."  
  
"I know," the man said solemnly. "Rei, I want the pain to end, my pain, my suffering." Rei thought about her suffering, how she wished that the pain would end, and realised that the man was right. She slowly took the gun off the man, squeezed her eyes tight and aimed the weapon at the man's head.  
  
"Forgive me," she said as the gun went off.  
  
Aya peeked around a corner, noticing a shadow coming towards him. He bit his lip and turns to run down the corridor. His 45. out, Aya turns carefully into another hallway. Clear, he runs down towards a door. He thinks of trying to find Gendou when the door in front of him opens. A guard comes out, his MP5 hanging from his shoulder. Aya pointed the 45. at the guard's face before he could reach for his gun. Knowing that Aya had the drop on him, the guard put his hands up. Aya kept the guard in suspense, keeping the gun trained on him. A punch flew out from nowhere, followed by another. Dazing the guard, Aya spun on his heel, building momentum as he lifted his leg, driving the heel of his boot into the guard's neck. The sickening crunch of bone told Aya that the guard wouldn't be waking up soon as he fell to the floor. Sensing that the commotion would alert anyone nearby, Aya rifled through the dead man's pockets, finding a clip for a Browning HP pistol. With one almighty hurl he flung the clip down the corridor.  
  
"Huh? What was that noise?" Aya began to drag the guard into a room, finding a dead man in there with papers strew about. He proceeded to strip the dead guard. Recalling speculations of a gay relationship between two of the top people at NERV, he hid the guard in one of the lockers. Naked, Aya crept towards the door and banged on it, then rushed into the locker next to the dead guard. Aya crouched down and was dressing into the dead guard's uniform as the door opened. Aya could hear footsteps as what sounded like three men walked into the room. There was silence, and Aya guessed that they might be searching the room when a gun went off. Aya recognised the sound of a P90 as it tore through the lockers. The deafening sound that the monster of a gun emitted was as powerful as the rounds that threatened to tear the metal lockers in half. Without thinking, Aya knocked on the locker. One of the guards walked up to the locker that Aya was hiding in. Pressing his nose up against it, the guard peered inside, trying to find whatever made the noise. Seeing nothing since Aya had crouched down, the guard inspected the locker next to it. Peering inside, the guard saw eyes looking back at him. The guard stepped back and proceeded to empty what was left in his gun. Before he could fire, a hand flew out, grabbing the guard's arm. The two other guards opened fire, the bullets slamming into their comrade as Aya, not having time to finish and was stripped to the waist, flew out and twisted the guard's gun towards them, firing the gun empty. As the guards feel dead, Aya slipped a hand behind his back, pulling out his 45. and slammed the butt of the gun into the guard's neck. The guard fell like a sack of potatoes. Aya looked around the room, finding a desk filled with cigarettes and not much else.  
  
"Look at this," Aya said in frustration, knocking the full ashtray and mug off the desk. "What a slob." Coffee spilt across a piece of paper that caught Aya's attention. It was an old medical report written up about something called Adam, signed by Akagi Ritsuko. It went on to say how Rei was part of a series of experiments and how there were fears that if Rei had wanted to, she could kill them all. There was a second message attached as well, the person writing it saying how they had replaced Akagi and was fearful at the power that Rei seemed to have after she appeared to intervene when the Shito that was called Kaworu invaded, and made everyone wonder what Rei was. Ibuki Maya signed this.  
  
These aren't good people, they're bad people. It's time that I caught up with the good doctor.  
  
General Kyosuke stood in the office that used to belong to Commander Ikari, lighting a cigarette. Lying on a table were numerus papers, explaining events such as the Second Impact and the proposed Human Instrumentality project. There were two copies of the report, each read slightly differently. The first told of how the Lancea Loginous was to be used on Adam to start Instrumentality, allowing SEELE's commander Lorenz Keel to rule the world. Ikari wrote the other; which Kyosuke was reading now.  
  
".where we will use Eva Unit 01 and Rei to take us into the ark known as Adam. There, I will finally reunite with my wife, Yui." Kyosuke had to say that everyone involved was nuts.  
  
"General," a voice crackled on the radio, "we have secured the second Evangelion." Kyosuke unclipped the radio from his belt.  
  
"What about it's pilot?"  
  
"She's inside. We plan to bomb it. You're orders?" Kyosuke drew in a lungful of smoke, held it, and then blew it out across the paper he held in his hand.  
  
"No need to ask."  
  
"Yes sir." Kyosuke turned off the radio as he looked again at the papers.  
  
"What was he thinking? Is he insane? He's talking about worldwide crucifixion."  
  
"That's right," a voice said.  
  
"Who's that?" Kyosuke spun around on a heel, bringing up a Sig Sauer. Kyosuke was facing a woman, long brown hair tumbled down her shoulders, but the only thing Kyosuke saw was the Heckler and Koch VP70 aimed at his head, compared to the Sig which he stopped at the woman's shoulder. She had the drop on him. Kyosuke knew this as he lowered the Sauer.  
  
"For those who have fallen for the truth," Kyosuke heard the woman mutter before she pulled the trigger. The woman showed no remorse for the man's death as she stepped over him, collecting the papers he held along the way. The woman muttered something in Japanese as she went through the papers.  
  
"General, you'll die with the Commander." Holstering the VP70, the woman walked off out of the office.  
  
Aya skulked down the empty hallways, thinking he couldn't elude the JSSDF troops forever. Seeing finding Gendou as his only choice, Aya ejected the magazine from his 45., leaning against a wall that led to an elevator. Aya hoped that they would lead down to the area called Terminal Dogma he'd read about in the report he had stuffed into a tan, khaki pocket. Glancing down the hall, Aya caught a flash of yellow and white as it turned from another corridor down to the elevator.  
  
Akagi. Aya quickly recalled a report he came across when he had a close look through the papers he had recovered that told of how Akagi Ritsuko was arrested for killing off Rei, whatever that meant. What is she up to? Sneaking another glance down the corridor to see Akagi fade from sight, fast, Aya spun into the corridor. The sound of his boots scuffing against the metal deck made the scientist stop. She looked tired and out of breath, but she had her back to Aya so he couldn't be sure.  
  
"Doctor," Aya said, "we need to find the Commander." Akagi had a hand to her chest, which Aya took as a sign of her years smoking and drinking. Aya briefly entertained the idea of her having a heart attack when he felt something hit his arm. He looked at Akagi, who had thrown a knife, and thrown it rather clumsily at that. The knife bounced harmlessly off Aya's arm as Akagi pulled out a gun.  
  
"You don't need to find anything." She sounded like she was on the edge of hysteria. Recalling a story about a scientist like Akagi who had lost her mind, Aya decided quickly that any sudden moves wouldn't be a good idea. The two stood deadlocked, Aya frozen, Akagi looking like she was ready to fire.  
  
Ayanami Rei was literally running for her life, bullets flying over her head as she ran hunched over, doing her best to run in a staggered pattern like she had been taught to do in an event such as this. After getting separated from Gendou, Rei had tried to get to his office, or to the Command Centre, where she came across soldiers who were firing upon a group of people who had surrendered. Rei wondered why she did the most stupid thing she could have done at the time and sneezed as the troops noticed her. They seemed to want her dead more than anything else, as they had chased her through what felt like the length and breadth of NERV, ignoring everything else. She heard the gunshots, saw that some had to have hit her, so why wasn't she dead?  
  
All these questions.Rei suddenly realised how tired she was and collapsed. She could hear gunshots, as well as shouts that she wasn't being hit, but she just didn't care anymore. Looking up, Rei saw a woman with long brown hair, a woman she thought she had seen before. The soldiers seemed too transfixed on her to notice, though, Rei guessed, watching as the woman pulled out a handgun, small, but one she remembered seeing in a magazine at school once. The woman didn't hesitate in firing at the soldiers as gunfire whizzed past Rei's head. She saw the woman duck into a room, and then fire again. Rei saw something fly past her, a shape that she recognised as a grenade. Rei watched as it was kicked further down the corridor, the woman diving towards Rei. A canister flew from her hands, creating a sound and light so blinding, so deafening, that Rei felt as though she couldn't take it. She heard gunshots, several of them, but she couldn't see, as everything was such a blinding white. She worried that she might have gone blind the flash was so powerful. That thought passed as she felt someone grab her wrist.  
  
"C'mon," a female voice said. Rei's senses were slowly returning to normal, her thoughts shifting from turning blind to who this woman was. Rei had seen her before, with a man who she understood was a friend of the Major's. Rei thought that she should ask the obvious.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked quietly. The woman answered by pulling her more, as if she was in a hurry to get somewhere.  
  
"What's more important is that I know who you are, Rei." The woman adopted a brisk, businesslike demeanour not unlike Akagi. "Listen, you've heard of SEELE, right?" The woman handed Rei some papers, her head cocked sideways as they walked down a hall that led to a flight of stairs. "What's that?" The woman let go of Rei and crept to the top of the stairs, listening.  
  
"So, you're going to kill me, is that it?" Rei and the mysterious woman heard voices, the woman reaching into a pocket pulling out a round, green object that she didn't recognise at first. "The doctor, willing to 'kill' someone." Rei could hear the tone in the voice.  
  
"Get down." Rei saw that the object the woman had was a grenade. She recalled how Akagi had killed her 'sisters' and did as she was told, copying the woman as she heard the grenade roll down the corridor and down the stairs. Rei had enough sense to cover her ears, watching the woman. The explosion was so loud she didn't hear it; she felt it, going through her as badly as the other stun grenade had earlier. Rei watched as the woman had already gotten up, creeping towards the stairs with a handgun. To Rei, it looked like the present she'd always wanted, with the dead JSSDF troops everywhere. Rei followed the woman, looking down over the edge and got a queasy feeling when she saw what the blast had done. She couldn't make out anyone getting caught in the blast, which meant that either whoever the woman tried to kill had escaped or they were vaporised in the blast. Rei shivered at this point, thinking about what must have happened to her predecessor when her Eva self-destructed. She slumped to her knees, hearing shouts and the ruffling of papers. She then felt something on her shoulder, a gun, and the woman held a gun over her shoulder, butt first.  
  
"Take it," the woman said. Rei hesitantly took the handgun.  
  
"Who are you?" Rei asked once again. The woman didn't answer; instead choosing to occupied herself with reloading her own weapon. Rei tried to copy the woman and check, a bit clumsily she thought, her Sig Sauer.  
  
"We don't have much time."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Take these too." The woman handed Rei papers. "They're on what SEELE is trying to do, they intend to bring about Armageddon. We must find Gendou so we can stop this madness." The woman neglected to tell Rei that Gendou was probably just as crazy, hearing footsteps running towards them. "Go, get out of here." Rei heard the footsteps get closer, nodded and ran, hearing gunshots and the yell of a woman, a sound one might make when they die.  
  
Rei!  
  
After surviving a grenade thrown at him and losing track of Akagi, Aya saw a girl in a schooldress run from gunshots, heading towards an elevator. He saw Gendou escape with Rei after shooting at him. Aya tried to get the elevator to come back up when he heard footsteps. Hiding in an adjacent room, he watched, as the footsteps got closer. Aya kept a firm hold of hid HK, tensing as the figure turned towards the elevator. Limping, leaning against the wall for support was Akagi Ritsuko, whom Aya thought should have died in the explosion. Wild eyed and frantic, Aya never doubted for a second that Akagi had lost her mind. It seemed to be a job requirement for most of the people at NERV. Akagi seemed to be saying something, though Aya couldn't hear her. Through lip reading, Aya could make out revenge, Rei, bitch and Gendou. Aya figured it would be a wise move to follow her.  
  
But how? Wait for her to go down, and then go myself? Aya figured he could forget that idea. He didn't know what Akagi was up to, but he had a feeling that he should be there should she try anything.stupid. All he could do now was wait until Akagi took the lift down, then try and pry the lift doors open.  
  
Meanwhile, SEELE were watching the events at NERV unfold, their interest directed at the MP Evas that they had sent. Keel in particular held his attention to the battle with Eva unit 02, the fact that a fellow German by the name of Asuka Langley Sohryu was piloting was lost on Lorenz, and he wouldn't have cared in any case.  
  
"We've got a call from our European branch," said the Russian SEELE representative, his bulk carrying through in his voice.  
  
"This is a most inopportune time." Keel sounded very much like the old world president that he most likely wanted to be. "Put him on." A screen popped up in front of the SEELE members, showing a man in a dark blue military uniform. He didn't wait for greetings.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the man demanded.  
  
"And who might you be?" asked the shifty Chinese representative.  
  
"General Waters, Her Majesty's representative for the United Nations. I'm here about the unprovoked attack on Japan." It was Keel who answered the man.  
  
"Japan was ordered to disband a division of their Secret Service, a very important and dangerous division." Keel spoke matter of factly, but there was still an edge in his voice, as if he had a big chip on his shoulder with someone. "When this dangerous division refused to follow orders, it was decided that they have gone rogue, and action must be taken."  
  
"Then let us deal with it."  
  
"The Japanese Defence Force had already tried to stop them, now it's our turn."  
  
"Yes, I realise that. Take a look at what they've been up to." General Waters' image was replaced with video footage of the JSSDF attacking NERV, which looked to have been carefully edited to show the worst brutality. "Don't you think this is a little extreme?" General Waters asked. The SEELE members seemed unfazed by the carnage that took place; one soldier running from a flamethrower blast, JSSDF troops being sliced in half by machine gun fire and NERV personnel surrendering, only to be gunned down anyway.  
  
"Do you have any idea as to what they were up to?" Keel asked. "Do you know what sort of people they are?"  
  
"Do you?" Another voice loomed, followed by a man dressed formally. "American Secretary of Defence David Moten, I take it you wish to make an example of Japan?"  
  
"What of Pearl Harbour?" If the American representative's comment was meant to be funny or cutting, it didn't work.  
  
"It's in the past. Pull back your forces or we'll intervene."  
  
World War Three, Keel thought. Armageddon.  
  
"A division of ours may well be planning an assault on the United States, without our approval. We've given them plenty of time to disband."  
  
"Cut their budget, drug them, I don't care, just do it without bloodshed."  
  
"What about you?" Keel asked. "Do you intend to intervene?"  
  
"It's my way or the highway." Moten cut the communications at that. There was silence among the committee members.  
  
"What if they try to stop us?" one of them asked.  
  
"We must do as God orders us to, as is prophesised. No one can stop us."  
  
Because he couldn't pry open the doors to the elevator, Aya had to wait until the elevator came back up, listening to Painted Black that someone must have had on before the invasion. It was the elevator he was in now, crouched down as he waited to stop where Akagi was. A million things went through Aya's mind at the moment. Maybe if he survived this he could begin a new family, taking in Rei as one of his own. As cold as she was, she was still a human being and Aya thought that she deserved better. His thoughts were interrupted as a loud ping signalled the elevator stopping. Aya crouched down behind the doors, anticipating an attack. As the doors opened, he almost believed that soldiers actually were shooting as soon as the doors opened, as if they wouldn't be able to kill him otherwise. Aya peaked his head around the doors and looked down the empty hallway. Clear. Aya stepped out, looking at the floor to notice a thin trail of blood. Aya started to follow it, then started jogging after it. Suddenly he broke out into a run, going through the twisting labyrinth that was Terminal Dogma. Following the trail of blood, Aya never felt lost, nearing some blast barrier that was open. Aya could hear voices at this point, muffled beyond recognition. Then she heard a scream, a woman's scream.  
  
"LIER!" Two gunshots followed Akagi's accusation, and Aya broke out into a sprint to see what had happened. Lying face down in orange goo was Akagi Ritsuko, a gunshot wound that must have gone right through her. Aya wondered if the bullet struck her heart, or if she had a heart at all. Standing underneath a monster that looked like it was crucified to the wall were Ikari Gendou and Ayanami Rei. Thankfully they didn't notice him. Aya just watched at first, watching what was going on. Gendou looked like he was molesting the young girl. Then he jolted himself out of his momentary feeling of shock and reached for his 45.  
  
"So, you plan to destroy the world?" Aya asked. Gendou looked up from what he was doing.  
  
"Destroy?" he repeated. "I intend to save it."  
  
"What!" Aya demanded. "You and SEELE." Aya was cut off as several explosions, what were probably N-2 mines, rocked the based. Aya lost his footing, nearly falling into the river of orange goo with Akagi. Aya figured that he must have hit his head or something, because the next thing he remembered was the monster looking like it was joining with Rei. Aya had a feeling that he should make a run for it. Without looking back, Aya sprinted back to the elevators, following the trail of blood. Whatever was about to happen, Aya guessed that it would be very very bad.  
  
Ibuki Maya scrambled about the Command Centre, trying to find somewhere safe after seeing her friend Kym slaughtered. Maya didn't like guns, she hated them, and she flat out refused to take one to defend herself. But now all hell was breaking loose. Shigeru and Aoba did their best to keep the JSSDF at bay, but she ran to where her computer was and picked up the gun she was given before. Maybe there was no other choice. Her attention went elsewhere when she heard the sound of machine gun fire, very close by. Hiding under the table, Maya watched for signs of who it might be. The gun used didn't sound like anything she had heard before, this was obviously a weapon that neither NERV nor the JSSDF were using. The sound got closer, accompanied by footsteps. She heard something drop onto the metallic deck, possibly a spent cartridge since there was a pause in the shooting. Then she saw a man, stripped to the waist and wearing khaki pants go by, he must have been the one helping Shigeru and Aoba. His face was the look of total concentration, long hair forming a hood around it. Another clip dropped, shouts could be heard as Shigeru and Aoba conversed with the stranger. Maya could hear him telling them to get out if they could. The man continued firing, unmoving and unemotional. For a moment, Maya wondered if he was somehow related to Rei. Then she heard the most unearthly noise as the man stopped shooting, possibly out of ammunition and making a run for it. Something very bad was coming.  
  
Aya had had enough. He was outgunned and outnumbered, and out of ammo. Now things were getting weird. Bodies, both dead and alive seemed to be combusting, and most of the live ones seemed to freak out before they died, but Aya had no idea why. Aya thought that it might be some chemical weapon, so be ran to where he thought he'd be safe. As he ran down the hallway, he must have slipped in what was left of someone that had combusted, as he slipped and fell head first into a wall. His head hurt and he twisted his ankle badly. Sitting up, Aya looked at the devastation around him.  
  
"This is bad." Aya looked directly in front of him to see Ayanami Rei.  
  
If he was afraid, he didn't show it. He displayed the same lack of emotion she did as they both looked at each other.  
  
"Rei," Aya asked, "what's going on?"  
  
"You'll find out," she said. "Do you happen to know where you are?" Aya leaned against the wall.  
  
"Heaven. Hell. I don't know."  
  
"Well, I'll tell you where you are. You're at the end."  
  
"The end?"  
  
"Yes, this is the end." Aya slowly nodded.  
  
"I can well believe that." Rei smiled.  
  
"Everything's going to be alright," she told him. She took his hands into hers. Then there was a loud pop and a flash of white. 


End file.
